Trust is a huge factor when you're making a decision of that magnitude.

Leon Brunt and Jack Ash rely on Ritchie Bros. auctions to buy and sell equipment for their Darwin, Australia-based contracting company. In 2010, Leon and Jack turned to Ritchie Bros. once again - in Japan.

The thing that impresses me the most about Ritchie Bros. is how fast they move their auctions along.

As the owner of R.A. Hammond Construction, Richard Hammond oversees multiple jobs taking place at the same time all over Massachusetts. Richard is a busy man, and he believes in spending his time and money wisely - which is why he buys through Ritchie Bros...

Ritchie Bros. has gone far and above as far as customer service. That's something that I will always remember and something I always think about when I go to a sale.

Steve DeBaun went from auction rookie to professional by attending auctions with his father-in-law. In the process he has built a lasting relationship with Ritchie Bros. because of its dedication to quality customer service.

Ritchie Bros. meant a lot to him; it's part of our history.

Bryan Gour runs an excavator rental and parts business in Greater Vancouver, B.C. that was established by his late father-in-law Jim Blanche. When Ritchie Bros. celebrated its 50th anniversary, Bryan made sure he was there - not just for himself, but for Jim too.

Internet bidding is a great tool, but the auctions will always be the main event.

As president of a general engineering contractor, Steve Pokrajac has bought and sold millions of dollars of equipment at Ritchie Bros. auctions across the U.S. Although the internet has opened up the world for Steve, he'll never lose his love of attending auctions in person.

Relationships are a huge part of it.

Like their uncles and father before them, the younger Ghilotti brothers pride themselves on maintaining a first-class fleet of yellow iron for their San Francisco Bay area construction company. When they need to update their fleet, Dante and Mike Ghilotti turn to another family business: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

Ritchie Bros. always did the right thing: they stood up to their word.

In 1958 - the year that Ritchie Bros. was founded - Billy Jackson started W F Jackson Construction Co. in Sandersville, Georgia with little more than determination and a single dozer. Billy credits good people for his company's success - and his long relationship with Ritchie Bros.

I fully enjoy the sales. I always have, my father always did, and a couple of my boys go to the sales and they love it too.

D & J Isley and Sons is a family-run business in Grande Prairie, Alberta with longstanding ties to Ritchie Bros. Roy and Morgan Isley are carrying on the family tradition of buying and selling at Ritchie Bros. auctions - and passing it on to the next generation.

The difference between Ritchie Bros. and other auction companies was just night and day.

Ted Carlson, the president of Mainland Sand and Gravel in Surrey, B.C., has been buying and selling equipment at Ritchie Bros. auctions since the 1980s. Ted puts his loyalty down to two factors: fair auction practices and a sense of homegrown pride.

Everyone at the auction site remembers my name.

Holm Bros. Construction started out like Ritchie Bros. - a small business run by brothers. Both companies have grown and changed hands. Willy Holm Jr. now looks after the family business - and he counts himself as a loyal Ritchie Bros. customer thanks to the down-home relationship he's built with the company over the years.

There is less risk involved and immediate return

Nyholt Constructions of Yatala, Queensland has a unique connection to Ritchie Bros.: the family-owned construction company helped build the Ritchie Bros. auction site in Brisbane, Australia. But Managing Director Richard Nyholt also has a story that is familiar to many: managing a business during a downturn.

Ritchie Bros. put those rules in place years ago and they stick by them.

John Friedges of Lakeville, Minnesota has been in business – and building a fleet of equipment – for more than 40 years. He's only in his early 50s. Whether he's buying or selling equipment, John says he values one thing above all: fairness.

Before Ritchie Bros. introduced detailed equipment information I would hire a mechanic to go and inspect the equipment for me. But now all the information is right there online—it's very helpful.

In business for more than 45 years, the Bullin family have been buying and selling at Ritchie Bros. auctions for almost as long. They have seen some great innovations at Ritchie Bros. over the years—but they appreciate that the values of the company have remained consistent.

Auction fills your entire body with adrenaline

When Mario Humberto Patiño Manrique attended his first Ritchie Bros. auction in Phoenix, Arizona in 1999, he didn't know what to expect. He found not only the equipment he was looking for but a very special friendship as well.

You know when you go to the auction the best man wins on the day, and the best man will win and he takes home the iron.

Ritchie Bros. doesn't play games.

Ritchie Bros. auctions around the world helped Mahmoud Khalil build three international equipment dealerships in Lebanon. Mahmoud feels confident buying from Ritchie Bros. for two reasons: unreserved auctions—and equipment you can see for yourself.

I kept coming back to Ritchie Bros. because they had the best selection of equipment—they still do

Minnesota's Forrest Abramson signed his first construction contract in 1962; his company now has 150 employees and a large fleet of equipment. Forrest has found two key things at Ritchie Bros. auctions over the past 30 years: equipment and a feeling of confidence.

I can search for equipment, compare items, zoom-in on photos, check auction results, bid, buy and even arrange for shipping all without leaving my office.

Since Bill Coates bought Star Contracting Ltd.—the BC-based road contracting business where he worked for more than 30 years—his life has been getting busier. Bill now relies on the Ritchie Bros. web site more than ever, for equipment and information.

I've bought lots of equipment, I've sold lots of equipment, and Ritchie Bros. is the best in the world.

Camille Dionne started his rental equipment business in Quebec 46 years ago with one machine. Years later, he is still renting equipment – and he's added contracting and transportation services to the mix. And for almost four decades, Camille has been buying and selling equipment at unreserved Ritchie Bros. auctions.

I don't think we have been treated any less than platinum by Ritchie Bros. so far!

Ritchie Bros. has been very important to me and my family… Ritchie Bros. has changed our lives

Almost 20 years ago, Ruben Encinas traveled from Mexico to buy a crane at an unreserved Ritchie Bros. auction in Arizona. That first Ritchie Bros. auction purchase gave Ruben the idea for a new business venture – and gave his family a chance for a new life.